Misery Business
by Mandi2341
Summary: "Definitely there'd been a girl named Reyna...the memory made him question what he felt about Piper...the problem was, he liked Piper a lot." I'd like to call this my "Misery Business" moment, in Mark of Athena. There will be some hesitation on Jason's part, when it comes to meeting Reyna face-to-face again. Rated T for some lyrics


**Author's Note: Hey, everyone! Now, I'm a total Jeyna fan. No offense to Jasper but…Piper annoys me. I'm going to be completely honest with you guys—I was for Jeyna since the end of _The Lost Hero_, because 1) I don't like Piper that much and 2) if Jason had a girl at the other camp…it's kind of unfair that he's falling for Piper. Thing is, Reyna wasn't his girl…yet. It sucks to like a guy and he doesn't like you back. Been there, done that. I feel bad for Reyna.**

**Then I heard Misery Business (one of my favorite songs _before_ all of this, mind you) and I thought, _hey, this is a perfect song for Jeyna vs Jasper. _I've had this idea since I finished SoN back in October. So…here we go. This is how I want this to go. And I think it might go something like this…hopefully.**

**Dedicated to my best guy friend, because "Misery Business" is his favorite song ever, and I wish I could send him to Camp Jupiter. It's his dream home.**

**DISCLAIMER: I don't own Heroes of Olympus. I'm not Rick Riordan, obviously. I'm not Paramore, either. I wish I had hair like Hayley Williams, though.**

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Misery Business

_I'm in the business of misery; let's take it from the top_.

"You say Jason is aboard…I hope that's true. I've missed him." I continued to walk toward the giant bronze warship that was hovering over New Rome. I knew Terminus would have a fit—a huge weapon within his borders? I was surprised he hadn't already blasted the ship to bits.

I looked up and immediately recognized him: his gold hair first caught my attention, the purple toga and…his praetor cape over his shoulders. I glanced back at Percy, wearing his own purple cloak, arms around Frank Zhang and Hazel Levesque. It felt strange to see a Greek in a praetor's cloak, especially when I could look back and see the son of Jupiter dressed the same way. _We could have waited a little longer, couldn't we?_ I asked myself.

Looking back at the ship, I saw that Jason was standing next to another person I recognized, though not as easily. A girl with blond curls tied into a long ponytail, wearing an orange shirt like the one Percy had been wearing when he had first crossed the river. It had to be his girlfriend, Annabeth…the one who had destroyed the island.

Two others were on the ship: a girl with choppy brown hair and a boy with curly dark hair. Suddenly, the ship stopped in mid-air, and a ladder dropped down into the city. The blond girl, Annabeth, hastily climbed down, looking around desperately. I felt a rush of air as Percy ran past me to greet her. From a distance I saw him hesitantly stop in front of her, as if he were making sure she was real. I walked past them, but in my peripheral vision I saw him wrap his arms around her. I wondered if Jason would do the same for me. For some reason, I doubted it. Neither of us had ever shown so much affection for each other…although I wished he would.

Speak of the devil; Jason was the next to descend, though he thoroughly ignored the ladder as if it weren't there. He allowed the winds to carry him down to the ground, as he always did. Gravity was not an issue for him. He looked as handsome as ever. Even from where I was, I could see those blue eyes shining. I couldn't help but smile with relief; I really had missed him terribly.

But what made my heart jump was the other girl, the brunette. She climbed down the ladder, and on the last rung jumped into Jason's arms. She smiled at him warmly, and he returned it, with all the warmth and maybe even more. Looking at Percy and his girlfriend, their expressions were too similar to Jason's and this other girl's.

_She's got a body like an hourglass that's ticking like a clock._

_It's a matter of time before we all run out;_

_When I thought he was mine, she caught him by the mouth._

As they came closer, I felt my heart sink with dismay. Jason had his fingers threaded through hers. And she was beautiful: perfect body, perfect face, eyes like a kaleidoscope. I couldn't help but think how wrong this felt. I'd wanted Jason ever since I'd befriended him four years ago. I'd been hoping that he would like me back, and when he was elected praetor, I thought he'd finally be mine. Then he went missing, and my whole dream shattered. Who was this girl? He had to have met her at this Greek camp Percy had mentioned. But I couldn't help feeling slightly betrayed. How could he have fallen for a Greek girl he had just met?

_I waited eight long months; she finally set him free._

_I told him I couldn't lie—he was the only one for me._

_Two weeks, we caught on fire._

_She's got it out for me, but I wear the biggest smile._

I took a deep breath. I've waited eight months for this. I couldn't let anything stop me. I had to let him know how I really felt about him, even if he didn't care. "Jason Grace," I called, keeping a straight face.

He frowned slightly. He glanced off to the side, and I could tell he caught sight of Percy Jackson, unfamiliar to him…a Greek, wearing the symbols of power in a Roman legion. His frown deepened. He met my eyes again; a hint of his grudging smile returned. "Reyna," he called back, "you couldn't wait twelve more hours before replacing me?"

We were now standing within inches of each other. The girl clutched his arm, looking nervously at me. She looked about the same age as me, about sixteen. My heart sank even lower. She was even more beautiful up close. And she didn't look hostile at all…just scared. Scared of the legion, scared of me…and especially scared of Jason's memory of me. Seeing Jason's face, I knew he was conflicted. He remembered me perfectly. He remembered what we'd gone through together.

"Well, Grace," I said to answer his question, "I had to do something before Octavian stole power, you know?"

He chuckled softly. "I suppose you're right." He turned to the other girl and said, "Piper, this is Reyna, daughter of Bellona and praetor of the Twelfth Legion Fulminata. Reyna, this is Piper McLean, daughter of Ve—Aphrodite."

Of course. The goddess of love and beauty. I probably would never have stood a chance against a girl like that. The girl Piper gave me a nervous smile. I couldn't return it.

_Whoa, I never meant to brag,_

_But I got him where I want him now._

_Whoa, it was never my intention to brag, _

_To steal it all away from you now._

_But god, does it feel so good_

'_Cuz I got him where I want him now._

_And if you could then you know you would_

'_Cuz god, it just feels so…it just feels so good._

I stepped closer to the old praetor. He didn't flinch, or even blink. He just gave me another half-smile. "Long time no see, praetor," he murmured.

"Too long," I replied. Then, before I lost my chance, I threw his arms around his neck. By the way he tensed, I was sure that I'd startled him. It took a few seconds for him to put his arms around me, so the embrace was mutual, but he did. I ran my fingers through his short, blond hair, feeling like I'd been thrown eight months into the past, back to the last day I'd seen him. I felt like I could've melted into his arms. "I've missed you," I whispered.

"I…I missed you, too," he whispered back. His voice was hesitant, which didn't make me feel too confident that he really _had_ missed me…it just sounded like he was trying not to hurt my feelings.

"Hmm," I was the only response I could manage.

_Second chances, they don't ever matter; people never change._

_Once a whore, you're nothing more. I'm sorry; that'll never change._

_And about forgiveness we're both supposed to have exchanged—_

_Sorry, honey, but I pass up. Now look this way._

I pulled away, holding him at arm's length. He kept his arms around my waist. Piper was staring down at her shoes, looking disheartened. I told Jason, "You've made lots of new friends. You probably haven't even had time to miss me." I tried for a smile, trying to let him think I was only being light-heartedly sarcastic, even though I meant every word and every meaning behind those words.

"I haven't forgotten about you, if that's what you mean," he said. I knew he was telling the truth. The doubt on his face was enough to tell. He was caught between a rock and a hard place. And that's just where I wanted him at that moment. Honestly, I would've preferred knowing that he was immediately mine again, like Percy and his Annabeth. But knowing Jason might not completely be Piper's was the next best thing.

_Well, there's a million other girls that do it just like you_

_Looking as innocent as possible to get to who_

_They want and what they like; it's easy if you do it right._

_Well, I refuse, I refuse, I refuse!_

Looking at her…she was too perfect for him. Perfect looks, perfect body, perfect attitude. A daughter of the goddess of love and beauty was too perfect. Why did he have to fall for the daughter of Aphrodite, of all the girls to fall for? I thought to last night, watching Kinzie throw herself all over Percy, trying to get him to fall in love with her. I knew I'd never try to get a man that way. It wasn't fair. Jason was the first man to break through my mental shields. And as soon as he'd done that…he fell for another girl. Is that what I had to do to get a guy? I had to act girly and pretty and delicate, like an aloof little princess? I'd left that life behind four years ago. It had burned up with my island.

_Whoa, I never meant to brag,_

_But I got him where I want him now._

_Whoa, I never meant to brag._

_To steal it all away from you now._

_But god, does it feel so good_

'_Cuz I got him where I want him now._

_And if you could then you know you would_

'_Cuz god, it just feels soooo…_

_It just feels so good…_

I had the feeling that Jason could see my internal struggle, the same way I could see his. But the way Jason looked at Piper, with real conflict in his blue eyes, pain and confusion… "Reyna…I thought about you every day," he told me.

Piper was gaining the same expressions as Jason and me. Finally she sighed. "Praetor Reyna, can I talk to you for a minute? Just you and me?"

I wanted to say no. I didn't want anything to do with her. She'd pulled the rug right from under me, and now she wanted to talk? But when I saw Jason's pained look, I found myself nodding. He always knew how to melt the icy shield I always kept up.

_I watched his wildest dreams come true_

_Not one of them involving you._

_Just watch my wildest dreams come true,_

_Not one of them involving—_

She walked me away from him, away from everyone. We were in our own zone for now.

"You have sixty seconds," I told her.

Piper moistened her lips. "Look, I can tell you…really like Jason." The words were forced. There was no way she wanted to admit that Jason had feelings for any other girl. I understood. "And…I know he…likes you back. I could see it on his face." She looked down at the grass. She wouldn't meet my eyes. "You have a history with him that I'll never have. And I get that."

I narrowed my eyes at her. She was telling me what I already knew. She was setting me up to break the news. So I told her, "We do have a history. Four years of history. We've fought side-by-side, and he's shared his deepest secrets with me…" I found myself trailing off. Just seeing her expression, I knew this was a battle I was going to lose. She didn't want to fight me for him. She looked me right in the eyes. Her irises changed from dark brown to a blue that almost matched Jason's. She said, "I know he's more than a friend to you…but he's more than a friend to me, too. And it's mutual. We really care about each other. As more than friends, you know?"

Her words were calm and patient, and I believed her. _And it's mutual._ That was it, wasn't it? I liked Jason, maybe even loved him…but he didn't share the same feelings? I wasn't upset anymore; I felt like the panic and frustration had been exhausted and replaced by a heavy disappointment. I still didn't want to give up, though. I still had a chance, however small it might have been. He'd hesitated. "I know," I finally said. All I could do was walk back to Jason, who stood with his arms crossed, looking at us apprehensively. Piper followed me.

"Jason," I said.

He looked at me expectantly. "We need to get going, Reyna," he told me. "We came for Percy Jackson, and Hazel, and…the new kid. What's his name?"

"Frank Zhang, son of Mars Ultor," I told him. "And I understand. You have a quest to complete." Staring into his eyes, I didn't want him to leave. It was the last thing in the world that I wanted. I'd already lost him once, for eight months. Who knew when I'd see him again…_if_ I'd see him again?

_Whoa, I never meant to brag,_

_But I got him where I want him now!_

_Whoa, I never meant to brag, _

_But I got him where I want him now._

_Whoa, it was never my intention to brag,_

_To steal it all away from you now._

_But go, does it feel so good,_

'_Cuz I got him where I want him now._

_And if you could then you know you would_

'_Cuz god, it just feels so…_

I pulled him into another tight embrace. "Don't do anything stupid, Grace," I whispered.

"You know I won't," he whispered back.

This time, when I pulled away, I realized that my fight for him would be pretty hopeless considering he would be with Piper twenty-four/seven for a long time. I saw he'd made his choice…and that I probably wasn't even in the running to begin with. I supposed I could live with it…but I wasn't going to let him forget that I had feelings for him. So I kissed his cheek gently. He managed to look surprised and unsurprised at the same time. "Reyna…"

I held up my hand. "Get going, Jason Grace," I told him. "You have a world to save."

Jason lowered his eyes, and I could see a hint of pink on his cheeks. The blush was the giveaway. _Yes,_ I thought. _He remembers. He might even have some feelings for me. He's made his choice…but I've got him right where I want him._

So I was okay, even watching him sail away in the giant bronze warship, arm around his new love, Piper. I'd waited to see if we could be together…but maybe it wasn't meant to be. _My memory puts up a pretty good fight, though,_ I thought. _He'll never forget me._

_It just feels so good._

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**Tell me what you think of it. And Jasper fans…I'd love to have a debate with you guys, but no flames. Don't hate just because I prefer Reyna over Piper. I just think Piper's kind of…clingy. Sorry.**

**I love reviews! They make me happy!**

**~Mandi2341**


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